Improvement in treadles



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ALBERT 'FONTAYNE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

Letters Paten-t No. 85,37 5, dated December 29, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN TREADLES.

' and operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making part of this specification.

Heretofore there have been two lugs on the reverse side of the foot-plate, through which holes were drilled, and in which the shaft B worked. The making ofthese holes true was a laborious and comparatively costly process, and they were soon worn out of true, at the points on which the shaft B rested, after which the motion of the machine was less regular-,a considerable increase of power was required to work it, and, as it would cost more to repair that defect in a treadle made in that Way, than to purchase a new one, the user of a sewingmachine was compelled to purchase a new treadle as often as the said holes suffered any considerable wear from the friction oil the shaft B. One object of my present improvements is to remedy these defects.

Another defect, of a similar character, resulted from the form of the piece L ofthe comiecting-rod that conveyed the power from the treadle to the operative parts of the Inechanism. In the connecting-rod now commonly iny use for that purpose, the piece L is cut off where the red line is seen, (iig. 3,) so that, after the hole or journal-box M was'worn somewhat by its reciprocal action with the pin R, it could not again be made of a regular form of bore by the screw H, by reason of the rigidity of the back, or part farthest removed from the said screw, after which its action was neither so regular no1' so noiseless, and an increase of power was requisite to run the sewing-machine. Another object of my present improvements is to remedy this defect. i

Similar letters refer to similar parts in all the iigures. Figure 1 is a perspective view of the reverse side of the footplate, and the shaft on which it is supported, showing my improved Inode of adjustable attachment.

Figure 2 is a vertical section of same, through the line P Q, tig. 1, the upper side ofthe foot-plate being shown.

Figure 3 is a plan or plane View of the connectingrod., which conveys power from the treadle to the operative mechanisnrot' thc sewing-machine, showing my improved mode of adjusting the connecting-rod with the treadle A A are the foot-plates, through which power is imparted to the machine.

T T are bearings for the shaft B, cast upon the footplates.I

E E are collars, made fast to the shaft B by pins, between and close to the bearings T T, their function being to keep the said shaft rm in its place.

F F are seats cast with the footplates, in which the ends'of the pieces C C nearest the toes of the foot-plates rest. Holes are left in the 'foot-plates at that point, iig. 2.

-C C are movable pieces, which, together with the bearings T T, form adjustable joiu'nal-bokes, in which the shaft B works.

Une end ot'leaoh ofthe said pieces G U is firmly held in the seats .F F, while the other en'd of each is made fast by the screws D D, which have their heads in cavities for that purpose, in the upper side of the footplates, tig. 2, .so that the operator can regulate the bearings ot' the journal-boxes on the shaft B, without reversing the machine.

Between the toot-plate A and the movable pieces O C, at the points where the screws D D bind them, there are pieces of India rubber, or other elastic substance,

clearly shown at iig. 2.

\Vl1ile the journals ofthe sh'aft B are properly iitted to their journal-boxes, the wear of each is uniform, and only tends to increase the bore ofthe box, as compared with the diameter ofthe journals; but, after suflicient wear has taken place to change the relative proportion oi'. said parts, or to make the journals iit more or less loosely in their boxes, then the wear of the parts ceases to be uniform, and the evils before described very soon follow. But, by the aid of the screws D D, and the India rubber before described, the journalsmay be always kept properly fitted in their boxes.

K, h'g. 3, is the connecting-rod, which conveys the power from the treadle to the operative mechanism of the machine.

M, iig. 3, 1s the journal-box or seat, in which the pin R, tig. l, works. Y

N is a hole left in the casting, to serve as a spring, and to permit the part L to be -uniformly tightened by the screw H, after "the pin It and journal-box M have,

by'continued action, become worn, so as not to be a perfect fit.

vHaving thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The movable pieces O G, in combination with the shaft B, collars E 11,01r their equivalents, screws D D, and India-rubber washers, or their equivalents, as and for the pur-poses described.

2. The combination of the pieces C O, shaft B, screws D D, India-rubber washers, and seats FF.

3. Thepiece L of the connecting-rod K, 'extended as shown, for the purpose specified, and combining the screw H, journal-box M, and curve surrounding the hole N, substantially as described.

A. FONAAZNE Witnesses:

J AMES MOORE, SAML IS. FISHER. 

